One evening at the end of May a middle-aged man was walking home from Shaston to the village of Marlott in the Vale of Blackmoor．His legs were thin and weak，and he could not walk in a straight line．He had an empty egg-basket on his arm，and his hat was old and worn．After a while he passed an elderly parson riding a grey horse．
5月末的一天傍晚，有个中年汉子正从夏斯顿回家到黑荒野山谷的马勒特村去。他双腿瘦弱，一路东倒西歪。他手挽一个盛鸡蛋用的空篮子，帽子又旧又破。走了一会儿，他遇见了一位骑匹灰马的老牧师。
Good night，’said the man with the basket．
“晚安。”挽着篮子的人说。
‘Good night，Sir John，’said the parson．
“晚安，约翰爵士，”牧师说道。
After another step or two the man stopped and turned round to speak to the parson．
刚走出一两步，这人停了下来，转过身对牧师说：
‘Now，sir，last market-day we met on this road at the same time，and I said “Good night”and you answered“Good night，Sir John，”as you did just now．’
“嗯，先生，上次赶集那天，大约也是这个时候，我们在这条路上碰到过的。当时我向您道声‘晚安’，您也和刚才一样回答说‘晚安，约翰爵士’。”
‘I did，’said the parson．
“我是那么说的，”牧师说道。
‘And once before that，almost a month ago．’
“而且更早以前还曾有过一回——将近一个月以前吧。”
‘I may have．’
“我也许是说过的。”
‘So why do you call me Sir John，when I am only John Durbeyfield？’
“那么您为什么要称呼我‘约翰爵士’呢？我只不过是约翰·德北呀。”
The parson rode nearer，and after a moment's hesitation，explained：‘It was because I've discovered something of historical interest．I am Parson Tringham，the historian．Do you really not know，Durbeyfield，that you are a direct descendant of the ancient and noble family of the d’Urbervilles？They descended from Sir Pagan d’Urberville，who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066．’
牧师拍马走近，略一犹豫，便解释道：“那是因为最近我发现了一些史实。我是特林厄姆牧师，历史学家。德北呀，难道你真的不知道自己是那古老而高贵的德伯家族的一支直系后裔吗？这个家族起始于培根·德伯爵士，他是在1066年随同征服者威廉国王从诺曼底来到英格兰的。”
‘Never heard that before，sir！’
“这事我以前可从没听说过，先生！”